XXXIX
Night hung over Equestria as Luna’s moon and stars cast the whole land in a calming and serene glow. Truly this night was a thing of beauty, a full moon that was unobscured by clouds complete with bright and twinkling stars, truly Luna had indeed outdid herself that night. Though the night was calm this was not the case in the north. Far in the Equestrian Tundra, a massive fissure had broken open with no rhyme or reason, though there was nothing in it. This was due to the fact that the thing that was in it was gone, a series of large foot prints that led from the fissure were proof of that fact. The prints themselves were slowly being covered as the snow blew hard and fast, but deep within a large abandoned dragon nest cave, a creature dwelled. This creature was currently hunched over; the scraping of its claw tips on the stone was the only sound, the bone like scraping jarring to even the bravest creature.
“Oh my brothers….,” the creature mused almost sadly, “felled by the creatures of this age,” the creature’s voice deepened and held an air of great anger, “The very nerve. To raise arms against us! They shall know despair and destruction when I take away all they hold dear.”
The creature stood in the mouth of the cave and gazed into the distance, seeing a shining jewel of a city. The creature was a towering beast indeed, perhaps several feet taller than his previous brother. His armor was shell like, just like the other harbingers, but with a vast difference. The texture and sheen of his armor was much more metallic. The armor was jet black with demonic looking lines engraved into the surface giving it a more sinister appearance; there were the occasional dark smoke grey trim around each line. Curving from his head was a pair of black ribbed horns that curved forward like a rams. His claw like fingers clenched and unclenched as the creature’s dark azure eyes burned at the Crystal Empire. The build of the creature was far leaner than his other counterparts. His mouth area had four large slits that seemed to be naturally part of the armor and evenly spaced. The creature raised his left hand to reveal a sculpture of the domed city.
“Rest, rest all you like mortals,” the creature chuckled deeply, “for soon, your city will fall into darkness,” from the creature’s palm, a black mist like energy slithered along the sculpture. The energy itself gave off no light and took none in. It was as if darkness itself had been given form
“I, Olf’Ric, promise you,” the energy itself consumed the sculpture as the Black Demon crushed it, “Despair!”
The shards were consumed until the mist dissipated, leaving nothing.
*
Baen was lying on his back snoring softly. His tongue hung out of his mouth as some of the girls giggled at his current look. The train was gently rattling along the tracks toward its destination, a place which the current group had been called too, The Crystal Empire. Frankly, Twilight wasn’t complaining. After the fiascos that had taken place recently, she could do for a visit with her sister in law and her brother. The girls wanted to come along not only for a change of scenery, but to tour around for once without the threat of some monster trying to rip them apart. As for Baen? Well…
*
Many hours earlier.
“And then I threw a boulder at him,” Baen swigged some hard cider, “True story.”
Vinyl laughed, “So you beat a two headed monster bird with a stone?”
Baen nodded, “Now that I think on it, I should have speared him with the massive bramble bush.”
Discord shrugged as he lounged on the ceiling, “Ah, but to take something down with a rock. Now that takes skill.”
A knock followed by the door opening alerted the friends to the entry of Princess Twilight. She smiled at him which he returned with gusto.
“Greetings Twilight,” he raised his glass, “What brings you by this afternoon?”
Twilight gave a small smile, “Well actually I just dropped by to ask if you wanted to come with me and the girls to the Crystal Empire for two days an-,” she stopped herself when she whiffed the air, the scent coming from Baen’s mug, “Have you been drinking?”
Baen belched loudly to which Discord and Vinyl raised a score card reading a ten.
Twilight scowled at her friend, “Baen, not only was that rude, but it’s WAY too early in the afternoon to drink. You’ll be passed out in no time.”
“HA! Yeah right,” Baen snickered and pointed his mug at her, “I’ll be chatting up a storm on that train!”
*
Baen snored louder for a moment before turning over and mumbling incoherently. Pinkie hopped over and started to tickle Baen’s nose with a feather, the barbarian swatted at the feather and rolled away from it.
Fluttershy sipped a refreshment she had retrieved from the snack cart and smiled at Twilight, who seemed lost in thought, “Is everything alright Twilight?”
Twilight narrowed her eyes at the Tundra, “It’s nothing…might just be….”
“The heebie jeebies?” Pinkie added as she drew triangles and other odd shapes on Baen’s face.
“I suppose so,” Twilight muttered to herself, “I hope that’s all it is.”
The train then whistled loudly and roused Baen from his sleep and he sat straight up…into a pie hanging from the ceiling by a string.
“PINKIE!!!!”
Pinkie broke down into a fit of giggling snorts as she was chased by a rabid Baen.
*
After chasing the pink menace for a good few minutes, Baen had wiped his face off and disembarked the train with the girls. Taking in the familiar surroundings of the Crystal Empire they advanced toward the palace. Baen noticed that the Crystal Ponies would drop what they were doing and bow deeply whenever they saw the group. Twilight would blush lightly while Baen would just raise an eyebrow and bow his head slightly in their direction. But then the strangest thing occurred. The group just made it to the castle and Baen, wanting to look at the Crystal Heart, broke from the group and gazed at the floating mystical stone. Unbeknownst to him, a small Crystal unicorn filly approached Baen and gently rapped on his foreleg armor. Turning his head, he noted the small pony and smiled.
“Well hello there little one,” he raised an eyebrow, “to what do I owe this knocking?”
The filly shuffled lightly, “You are the one known as Baen?”
“Yes?”
The filly smiled and bowed much to the barbarian’s confusion.
Twilight was equally confused when she approached, “Um…Baen?”
Baen shrugged, “I’m just as surprised as you are.”
The filly smiled as she stood up, he little smile practically making the area glow, “It’s because you saved our prince’s sister from a fiend of the most nightmarish nature! If our prince and princess are grateful-“
A fully grown crystal unicorn mare appeared and finished most likely for her daughter, “Than we are just as grateful.”
“Now now my little ponies,” tutted Cadance sweetly, “Let’s not crowd our guests.”
Some nearby ponies and the mother and daughter nodded in respect and went about their business as Cadance giggled with contained glee, “I’ve always wanted to say that!”
Baen smirked and bowed lightly, “Cadance, so good to see you again.”
“Likewise Baen,” she snickered lightly at a drawing of a screw beside a ball on Baen’s forehead.
Twilight nuzzled her sister in law and looked around in mild confusion, “Where’s Shining? I thought he’d come to meet us.”
Cadance smiled lightly, “Well, there was a minor tremor from the tundra and he insisted on taking a contingent of guards out to see what the problem is.”
Applejack glanced toward the barrier, “Pretty jumpy isn’t he?”
Cadance shrugged, “Well it comes with the job of ruling a kingdom after all, plus, we heard about what happened in Griffonia. We can’t be too careful.”
Twilight nodded in understanding, but then something clicked in her head, “Hey Baen, wanna see something cool?”
Baen raised an eyebrow before nodding, “Why not, sounds interesting.”
The girls smiled as Baen was led away, both ponies smiling.
Cadance smiled warmly, “Look at them, they’re like siblings.”
Rainbow snickered, “Yeah, Baen got the brawn, Twilight got the brains.”
The girls looked at the Pegasus and tried to contain their laughter.
*
Inside the castle, Twilight lead Baen through the halls of the castle telling him of a journey she had undertaken during her early princess days. The journey involved a mysterious new world where creatures dwelled that were a lot like the ponies of their world, but not.
“And then I left, I still miss them though,” Twilight said as she opened the artifact room door, “And here it is, The Crystal Mirror.”
Baen blinked a few times at the object. He recalled leaning against it the first time he had arrived in the Crystal Empire, the day he had befriended Shining Armor.
“This mirror is a gateway you say?”
Twilight nodded, “Yep! But the thing is, it’s kind of closed for thirty moons so it’s just a mirror right now.”
Baen approached the looking glass and tilted his head, “You know…Twilight,” he looked at her with an eager grin, “If this ever opens again, take me with you.”
Twilight was surprised at this, “Really?”
“Of course! A new world with strange beings,” Baen placed his armored hoof on the glass, “that would be an adventure I would love to share in with another.”
Twilight was deeply touched by the comment, “Baen….,” she then blinked and thought of something, “Hey Baen, could I ask you something?”
Baen looked at her curiously, “Yes?”
Twilight stood beside him, “I’ve noticed in some situations your…’Old Magic’, reacts strangely to some Equestrian magic and I was curious,” she tapped the glass, “do you think this thing might be Old Magic?”
Baen tapped his chin, “I’m not sure, though I could find out. I tried it with….,” he slowly stopped as Twilight narrowed her eyes slightly.
“Tried it with what?”
“Um….the Tree of Harmony,” Baen stated weakly.
Twilight pursed her lips and shook her head, “Why am I not surprised, if you’re going to try something, try not to kill yourself.”
Baen waved the comment off, “Heh, haven’t yet.”
Twilight rolled her eyes as Baen placed his hoof to the glass and flared his Wrath aura. In doing so however, Baen’s aura was then sucked into the mirror and the barbarian’s eyes gave off a white glow as he stood rooted in place.
“Baen? Are you alright?”
*
The colors flew past the pony at lightning speeds. Color’s flowing into each other or transitioning into another color completely different. All the while, Baen felt like he was being pulled at his chest by a string down this massive tunnel. Soon the tunnel erupted in a mass of white and Baen stood on land, but everything was like he was looking through a haze, barely anything could be given a shape. Though he could see tree tops, he smelt fresh nature. But it was like his senses were altered as well, the scents dulled, the colors muffled, even the sounds were garbled. But then he heard it through the garble, soft hoof falls on grass behind him. Turning his head, he looked at an equine shape as a familiar voice rang out. One he had not heard since…Tirek
“Ah, sir Knight, how pleasant to see you partially in the flesh,” the voice was just as soft and melodic as before.
But a sigh like that of a bird song met his ears, “But alas, it is not yet time for us to meet,” the voice was filled with the silky happiness once more, “But that will be sooner than you think. Until then.”
Baen looked up and paused; despite everything else he could see those eyes. Their color like that of the clearest most pristine blue water, and sparkled with a shine like two small jewels.
“My lady?”
Then Baen was ejected by a massive push.
*
Baen gasped as he awoke, still standing up. Twilight fanned his face with her wing.
“Baen, what happened? Did you see anything?!”
Baen shook his head, those eyes still clear in his mind, “I’m…not sure.”
Twilight was about to ask more, but then a voice rang out.
“TWILIGHT! COME QUICK,” Pinkie entered the room, “Shining is back! And he’s got news for the both of you!”
All three ponies ran straight from the room.
*
Shining was currently being fussed over by his wife of whom he kindly assured he was fine. The unicorn himself had clearly seen better days. Bandages and patches were placed all over his body as Cadance insisted on, ‘kissing each booboo better’.
“Cadance it’s fine really,” he looked up and smiled as Baen and Twilight entered, “Twily, Baen, good to see you both.”
Baen raised an eyebrow, “What seems to be the problem….bro.”
Everypony looked at him confused as Baen raised his hoof, “It’s something Vinyl uses.”
Shining gave a small smile, “Alright,” his expression then became serious, “as for what I called you two here for, well….”
The two leaned forward as Shining sighed, “Does the name Olf’Ric mean anything to you?"
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Yeah. Awesome chapter. That was funny to see the ponies reaction to Baen. Also ponies reacting to his belch. I can't wait for the next chapter. Good Luck.
4971859
Dude thats not funy
Yes, what exactly did he see?
I hope the next boss fight is more suspenseful than the previous fights, you make it seem that these supposed "harbingers" look like mere pawns in a game of chess.
I mean, War was defeated by Baen with relative ease
Pestilence was crushed and obliterated by Cherilee
Give these supposed demons a backbone already
5025223 Maybe they ARE pawns in a game... maybe the devil himself is planning to rise from hell and conquer the pony world. The demon's do represent the four horsemen after all, and their coming, in this order mind you, signals the start of Satan't 7 year reign on earth. Cryptic, if me and Arachne just completely unraveled this entire story, I'm sorry.
5025223
5029184
If you've noticed, each one of them in status of power is stronger and weaker respectively. Notice how in each fight Baen has JUST won due to the assistance of another. Just to say, the final battle is the decisive one.